Congress gaiter.



No. 724,188. PATENTED MARQ31/1903.

E. L. KEITH.

CONGRESS GAITER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1902.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER L. KEITH, OF BROCKTON, MA SSACHUSETTS.

CONGRESS GAIITERJ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 724,188, dated March 31, 1903.

Application filed August 6, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER L. KEITH, of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Congress Gaiters, of which the following is' a specification.

This invention relates to 2. Congress gaiter the upper of which comprises a vamp, a front quarter-piece attached at its lower end to the vamp, a back quarter-piece also attached at its lower end to the vamp, and intermediate elastic goring'pieces interposed between the front and back quarter-pieces.

The invention has for its object to provide improved means whereby the size of the ankle-opening formed by the upper portions of the quarter-pieces and the goring-pieces may be adjusted to afford more or less room for the ankle of the wearer and to vary the tension of the upper portions of the goring-pieces.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a Congress gaiter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents "a perspective view of a portion of the front quarter-piece.- Fig. 3 represents a perspective view showing the portion of the quarterpiece represented in Fig. 2 and in addition portions of the back quarter-piece and of the elastic goring-pieces. Fig. 4 represents a View similar to Fig. 3, showing the upper portions of the front edges of the goringpieces provided with reinforcing-flaps. Fig. 5 represents a side view of the piece from which one of said flaps is made. Fig. 6 represents a side view showing the piece represented in Fig. 5 folded longitudinally. Fig. 7 represents a partial side view showing certain details hereinafter referred to;

The same reference characters indicatethe same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, or represents the vamp; b, the front quarter-piece; c, the rear quarterpiece, and d cl the elastic goring-pieces interposed between the front and rear quarterpieces. The said parts may be of any suitableform and excepting as hereinafter speci- Serial No. 118,576. (No model.)

fied are connected in the usual manner to constitute a Congress gaiter.

My invention is characterized as follows: First, the rear edges of the front quarterpiece I) are providedwith horizontal slits b b at points preferably about midway between the upper and lower ends of the said quarterpiece'; secondly, the'front edges of the e1astic goring-pieces cl d, the rear edges and lower ends of which are attached,as usual,to the rear quarter=piece and to the vamp, respectively, are inserted in the slits b b in such manner that the lower portions of the said'front edges lie within and are overlapped by the corresponding portions of the front quarter-piece, while the upper portions of the front edges of the goring-pieces lie outside of and overlap the corresponding portions of the front quarter-piece; thirdly, the portions of the front edges of the goring-pieces below the slits b are attached to the front quarter-piece bin the usual manner; butthe upper portions of said edges-namely, the portions which overlap the front quarter-piece-are free from at'tachmen t to the said quarter-piece, so that the upper portions of the goringpieces (1 are adapted to swing outwardly from the upper portionof the front quarter-piece, as indicated in Figs. 1, 3, and 4; fourthly, the unattached overlapping portions of the goring-pieces dare provided with reinforcing-flaps ee, which are attached to the goringpieces and project forward from their front edges, the said flaps being provided with fastening means, here shown as eyeleted holes e, adapted to receive a lacing-cord, whereby the two flaps may be adjustably connected across the front of the-quarter-piece b. Each flap e is preferably made from a single piece of leather or other suitable material of the form shown in Fig. 5, said piece being folded along the dotted line, thus forming two wings or side pieces 2 2, Fig. 4, which embrace the free front edge portion of the accompanying goring-piece d. The eyelets e areinserted in the two'plies of the folded flape between the front edge of the goring-piece and the fold of the flap, thus holding said plies together. The wings 2 2 are suitably stitched to the free edge portion of the goring-piece.

The outer sides or folds of the flaps e e extend below the slits b h, each flap having an ac uteangled extension 3 at its lower end, which extends below the slit 6. The inner fold of the flap is cut away, as shown at 4, Fig. 5, thus forming a lower edge 5, which is located above the slit b. The lower portion of each flap is connected with the front quarter-piece b by lines of stitches 6 7, Fig. 7, the stitches 7 bein g below the slit 1) and the stitches 6 above said slit. Any other suitable fastening means may be substituted for these stitches so long as a secure connection is established between the lower portion of the flap and the front quarter-piece b at a point or points in close proximity to the slit b, said connection preventing the tearing of the material of the front quarter-piece at the inner ends'of the slits.

It will be seen that the slits b formed in the rear edges of the front quarter-piece enable the goring-pieces to be attached firmly and to be made of any desired width at their upper ends, so that said upper ends can effectively overlap the upper portion of the front quarter-piece. The flaps e, attached, as described, to the goring-pieces and to the front quarter-piece,not only serve as fastening members, but also prevent any possibility of tearing the material at the inner ends of the slits.

I am aware that it has been before proposed to make the upper front edge portions of the goring-pieces of a Congress gaiter adjustable by providing said portions with lace-engaging means; but I am the first, so far asI am aware, to provide a construction which permits the upper. front edge portions of the goring-pieces to overlap the sides of the front quarter-piece, while the lower front edge portions underlie and are overlapped by the sides of the front quarter-piece.

It will be seen that the described provision for adjustably connecting the upper front edge portions of the goring-pieces of a Congress gaiter permits an adjustment of the ankle portion similar to that permitted by the ordinary laced or bal shoe and also pe'rmits the taking up of any looseness resulting from the stretching of the upper portions of the goring-pieces.

Owing to the fact that the front quarterpiece is slitted at points about equidistant from its upper and lower ends and, further, to the fact that the elastic goring-pieces below the slits are within the quarter-piece and attached thereto, as usual, the shoe below the slits in the quarter-pieces presents the same appearance as the ordinary Congress gaiter. It will be seen, therefore, that when the shoe is in use the flaps 6 will be substantially covered by the trousers of the wearer, so that the shoe will not present any unusual appearance.

I claim- A Congress gaiter the upper of which comprises a vamp, a front quarter-piece, a back quarter-piece, and elastic goring-pieces interposed between the said qnarter-pieces, characterized by the fact that the rear edges of the front quarter-pieces have slits between their upper and lower ends which receive the front edges of the goring-pieces, the lower portions of the front edges of the goring-pieces below said slits, lying within and being permanently attached to the lower portion of the front quarter-piece, while the upper portions of said front edges lie without or overlap and are free from attachment to the upper portion of the front quarter-piece, the upper portions of the goring-pieces being provided with reinforcing-flaps having fastening means and attached at their lower portions to the front quarter-piece to prevent the tearing of the material of the front quarter-piece at the inner ends of the slits.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER L. KEITH.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN F. ALLEN, RUFUS E. PACKERD. 

